Nurturing equanimity (samachitvam) on the spiritual path

November 14, 2023

Bhagavad Gita describes equanimity (samachitvam) in Chapter 13, Verse 10 as an essential spiritual quality. Equanimity entails maintaining calmness, poise, composure, and evenness of temper amid chaos. It means not being overly happy with desirable results or being excessively sad with non-desirable results. It implies remaining in equilibrium and not...

Learning to care on the spiritual path

October 31, 2023

Caring begins within, resonating outward to encompass all living beings and the environment. The insightful words of the Dalai Lama echo the essence of this sentiment: “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” Fundamental to genuine...

Practicing non-injury (Ahimsa)

October 26, 2023

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) used to say, “Ahimsa (non-injury) is the highest duty. Even if we cannot practice it in full, we must try to understand its spirit and refrain as far as is humanly possible from violence.” An important aspect of being a human being is to develop an awareness...

Circumventing anger (krodha) for the spiritual aspirant

October 19, 2023

Anger (krodha) is an emotion or mood that all of us have felt. Some of us feel it more frequently than others but nobody is bereft of this feeling. Anger occurs when a desired goal or need is not met despite one’s efforts or when someone does not behave in...

Duty Consciousness

October 10, 2023

The word “Duty” in English language was derived from the French word deu (due) around 13th Century to signify repayment of obligations. In Sanskrit the word “duty” is denoted by “Dharma.” Dharma is one of the purposes of life according to Vedas in Hinduism. Dharma is the performance of actions...

Where do newer obesity drugs stand in the battle against the bulge?

October 3, 2023

In India, obesity has been increasing with about 350 million people fighting the battle against the bulge. There are two types of obesity – general and abdominal. The Indian National Family Health Survey 2019–21 showed that the prevalence of obesity was 13.85% and that of abdominal obesity and 57.71%. Both...

Not being proud of material existence (Amanitvam)

September 26, 2023

A word that is described as a fundamental spiritual quality in Bhagavad Gita is “amanitvam” (Chapter 13.8). The English translation of this word is humility or not being proud of material existence. As the body and mind gain strength from childhood into adulthood the pride starts to fortify. Pride in...

Need of honesty (satya) in spiritual practice

September 12, 2023

Am I honest with myself in my thoughts, words, and actions? Do I pretend to be honest, or do I truly aspire to be honest? Who can say that as a child we were not instructed to be honest? Then why as adults, do we sometimes engage in being dishonest,...

Value of solitude (ekanta) in spiritual practice

September 5, 2023

Solitude (ekanta) is a great source of joy for the spiritual aspirant. Solitude refers to the enjoyment of a simple, quiet, contemplative environment where one can just be happy with oneself. It requires not constantly engaging the mind in activity but just taking the time to smell the “roses.” It...

Purification of Impurities

August 31, 2023

Two of the Brahmavakyas in Vedas are, “Tat Twam Asi” and “Aham Bramhasmi.” These mean “Thou Art That” or “I am Brahma” respectively which imply the same thing. The prime purpose of human life is to make these not remain just lines from the scriptures to be appreciated but to...